(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display source unit for a display device in a vehicle, by which a light of a display image to be seen as a virtual image from an eye point in the vehicle is projected on a position visible from the eye point.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In a head up display, a virtual image of a display image containing information for vehicle driving is displayed on a windshield or combiner, thereby the virtual image can be superposably seen together with the foreground of the vehicle seen through the windshield or combiner. In such a head up display, as pointed out in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-77567, a display source is preferably disposed at a ceiling in the interior of the vehicle in order not to be affected by sunlight.
The display source disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-77567 is disposed at a ceiling portion behind an eye point in the interior of a vehicle so that the display source does not give a visual oppressive feeling to a driver by existing within a visual field of the driver and in addition, the combiner is disposed near the ceiling so that a light of a display image projected from the display source is not blocked by the driver.
However, when the display source is disposed at the ceiling portion in the interior of a vehicle, required is not only a consideration, like a consideration in the display source disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-77567, that the display source be disposed behind an eye point so that the display source does not enter into a visual field of the driver, but also a consideration that the display source does not give a physical or mental oppressive feeling to a head of the driver in such a manner that the display source does not obstruct the driver from getting on and off the vehicle taking an emergency such as an accident into consideration.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to solve the above problem and to provide a display source unit for a display device in a vehicle, by which the display source does not give a physical or mental oppressive feeling to a head of the driver when the driver gets on and off the vehicle, in a situation that the display source, which displays a display image and projects a light thereof on a windshield or combiner, is disposed at the ceiling portion in the interior of the vehicle in order to display the light of the display image containing information for vehicle driving on the windshield or combiner.
In order to attain the above objective, the present invention is to provide a display source unit for a display device in a vehicle disposed at a ceiling of the interior of the vehicle, by which a light of a display image to be seen as a virtual image from an eye point in the interior of the vehicle is projected on a projected position visible from the eye point in such a manner that the light is reflected on the projected position to the eye point, comprising
a cover member, which is held by the ceiling and covers a part of the ceiling, consisting of two cover bodies divided each other in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle, coupling the two cover bodies together in such a manner that a state of the coupling can be selected out of an unfolded state, in which the two cover bodies are brought close to the ceiling and extended along the ceiling, and a folded state, in which the two cover bodies are brought away from the ceiling and extended in an inclined direction relative to the ceiling,
wherein a display device for luminously displaying the display image on a display surface thereof is mounted in the rear cover body out of the two cover bodies with the display surface facing the ceiling, while the front cover body out of the two cover bodies is provided with a light-outgoing section, which enables a light to come out from a space formed between the cover member and the part of the ceiling covered by the cover member toward the outside of said space,
said space receives a reflector therein, and
in the folded state of the cover member, the display device, the light-outgoing section and the reflector are relatively arranged to each other so that after being reflected by the reflector the light of the display image is irradiated on the projected position by way of the light-outgoing section and a virtual image of the display image is seen from the eye point.
With the construction described above, when the cover member is brought into the unfolded state from the folded state, the two cover bodies come close to the ceiling and extends along the ceiling, thereby the two cover bodies do not protrude toward the interior side of the vehicle.
Therefore, the driver is free from the physical or mental oppressive feeling to the head upon the driver""s getting on and off the vehicle, since the cover member in the unfolded state is not an obstruction for the driver.
Preferably, in the unfolded state of the cover member, the display device, the light-outgoing section and the reflector are relatively arranged to each other so that after being reflected by the reflector the light of the display image is irradiated on a specific position in the interior of the vehicle by way of the light-outgoing section.
With the construction described above, upon the unfolded state of the cover member, the light of the display image displayed on the display surface of the display device is irradiated on the specific position in the interior of the vehicle by way of the light-outgoing section after being reflected by the reflector, thereby the light of the display image functions as a room lamp of the vehicle.
Preferably, the light-outgoing section consists of an optical element for image magnification, which is fit into the front cover body.
With the construction described above, when the beam of the light of the display image displayed on the display surface of the display device reaches the light-outgoing section after being reflected by the reflector, the beam of the light is enlarged by the optical element for image magnification, thereby the visibility of the virtual image of the display image is improved.
Preferably, the reflector is fixed in said space.
With the construction described above, when the cover member is brought into either the folded state or the unfolded state, the light-outgoing section and the display device are arranged at the respective suitable positions relatively to the reflector.
Therefore, the reflector has no necessity to be changed with respect to its position between the folded and unfolded states of the cover member, thereby the construction around the reflector can be simplified.
Preferably, both front and back ends of the cover member in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle is regulated with respect to the movement thereof in the direction of approaching to and leaving from the ceiling, and at least one end out of both front and back ends of the cover member is movable in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle.
With the construction described above, when at least one end out of both front and back ends of the cover member, the movement in the direction of approaching to and leaving from the ceiling of which is regulated, is moved in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle, the junction part of the two cover bodies approaches to or leaves from the ceiling. Thereby, the state of the cover member can be easily changed between the folded and the unfolded state.